


Reach For You Across The Endless Universe

by griffonskies



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, M/M, Older Characters, meeting as children, slight magic realism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 20:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18373088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/griffonskies/pseuds/griffonskies
Summary: When Lance was young and on a trip with his family he met two souls, his Star and Moon.And he would spend the next half a lifetime trying to find them again. Hand always reaching out across the night sky and the endless ocean to once again hold his Stars hand.





	Reach For You Across The Endless Universe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [galaxy_witch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/galaxy_witch/gifts).



> Hello there!  
> This is a Shiro Birthday Exchange 2019 gift for @galaxy_witch  
> I'm so sorry it took so long! It tripled in size while I wasn't looking, honest! I sadly couldn't bring you your favorite pairing, but you also mentioned Shance and I ran with that.  
> I hope you like it!  
> Take care!
> 
> Shout out to @Hexworthy for being so awesome to beta the story and listen to me rave and fret around the whole time. Thank you!  
> Any remaining errors are of course all mine, since I'm one big spaz like that.

 

The lantern speckled night sky is reflected in the deep, endless black of the lake. Lance can hear the excited voices, fireworks and strange music right behind him. It feels like he’s drowning in the loudness of it. He curls up tighter as he crouches behind the bamboo and the bushes, his little feet almost touching the waterfront. All to better hide in the dark, away from the chaos he can’t comprehend. From the strange people speaking a strange language he can’t understand.

They flew in a plain the other day, and Lance had to sit for a long, long time and be quiet; he didn’t like sitting still very much, but the view from the window was so captivating! They were so high above the clouds he could almost touch the moon through the window, and the sun was setting over the horizon in so many shades he’s never seen before - back at home the sun usually just plunges into the ocean and it’s dark the very next moment.

His Mamma said they were in a place called ‘Japan’? There were so many people here and so many big buildings that went up, up so much so that Lance lost his balance and fell on his bum trying to follow them as they reached for the sky.

But they were at a place his Pappa called a ‘festival’. And it was so loud. And there were too many people. And there were too many strange sounds. And everything was just too much.

His eyes sting as he tries not to cry for his Mamma, having lost sight of her a while ago.

A wind rustles the leaves and ruffles his hair for a moment and then a hand taps on his shoulder.

Lance jumps from fright and almost falls into the water. He looks around to find another kid standing near him, maybe a few classes older. He looks old enough to be going to _school_ like Lance’s older sister!

The other kid startles at the jump, but then raises both hands in a placating motion and smiles at Lance. He then says something Lance can’t understand.

“What’s that?” asks Lance. But the other looks back at him just as confused. He frowns and says something else.

But Lance can’t understand that either, tears well up again and his vision blurs, “I want my Mamma...”

Two small but sure hands enfold his cheeks, wiping at his tears. The same boy is still there, crouching in front of him and smiling at him. He starts talking in a soft but assured voice, nodding once at the end, the same tone Lance’s grandfather uses to keep him safe through a passing storm. Lance doesn’t understand but he can’t help trusting that voice.

Lance hiccups twice more and then the other boy stands up, pulling Lance along with him. Then up the slope, through the bushes and onto the crowded path. And here in the light Lance can finally see his new friend. Pale pale skin, a short dark fringe falling over sharp silver eyes. He’s in the same type of clothes most of the people here are wearing - Lance thinks that it looks almost like his Mamma’s skirts but was told those are not the same. Only this one is a dark blue and adorned with big yellow stars. The boy has markings on his cheeks, and it takes Lance a moment to figure out that those are stars, little constellations over smiling cheeks drawn in black ink.

Lance thinks back to how his Pappa would read to him and his sisters and brothers every night, and they took turns choosing the story they want to hear. Without fail, Lance always asks for the same series every night. A little cat, far far from home, at the other edge of the universe, with little astronaut paw boots and a little fish bowl for a space helmet. The story tells of his adventures while he tries to find his way home. And every night the story ends with the little cat setting curse towards the same star in the sky and flying away in that direction. His Pappa says that’s called a “guiding star”.

Lance thinks he’s found his own guiding star.

A voice calls out nearby and it sounds almost exactly like the voice of his Star. Another boy comes through the crowd, and comes to a stop in front of them. They’re twins! Same smile, face, hair and outfit even! And the other one has two crescent moons drawn on his face, one for each cheek.

The Moon and Lance’s Star exchange a few words, and the new boy also smiles at Lance. But Lance thinks it’s not as warm as his Star’s smiles.

The Moon darts into the crowd and his Star pulls Lance right after him. They make their way through the crowd and around carts and booths full of masks, games, people and all sorts of food. But then Lance hears his Mamma calling to him “Mi cariño!”.

“Mamma!” he yells and, not letting go of his Star, runs forward and sees his family worriedly running towards him. He practically jumps into her arms as she falls down to her knees in front of him and embraces him so tight he has trouble breathing. He can feel his Pappa and siblings join the hug.

Later, after they’ve all calmed down, and his Mamma had berated him; another Mamma and Pappa, pale and dark haired - they looked like his Star and the Moon! - said something to Lance’s Mamma and Pappa in a strange language - and his Mamma responded in the same strange language! - only then did he notice that he was still holding his Star’s hand in a very tight grip.

His Star just smiled at him when he finally noticed.

But his sister laughed at them and asked him if he had found himself a boyfriend. Lance huffed at the accusation, even though he didn’t quite understand it, but he puffed out his chest and said with all the conviction he could muster, “Yes.” His family laughed at him, he felt his cheeks get warm and he stepped closer to his Star, the Moon came over to his other side, sensing distress and Lance reached out to take his hand too. His Star then said something to his own Mamma and Pappa in confusion, they too laughed at the three of them.

There was a flash and Lance looked over to see his aunt crouching down with a camera pointing at them. She lowered the camera and grinned at his confused look, “You’ll thank me later,” she said.

His Moon grew tired of all of this, his brow creasing into a frown, and he said something to his parents who then said something to Lance’s parents.

His Mamma then asked if Lance would like to play with his Star and Moon?

Lance could feel himself instantly brightening at the idea.

The rest of the night went on in a blur.

First his Star and Moon tried to show him how to play a game with two flat pedals and a ball with feathers - they called it something like ‘ha...hane-tsuki’? - but when Lance couldn’t understand it and almost started crying again, his Star got an idea and they played tag, but the winner got to draw a little something on the losers face.

Lance was a cat now! With whiskers! And a little sun of his own under one eye.

His Moon got another moon for the collection and a mark of some kind that Lance didn’t recognise.

But then he finally caught his Star and could draw something on him too!

He drew a little heart under his Star’s left eye.

After having enough of playing his Star and Moon showed him around the festival. Lance could finally enjoy it all, now that he wasn’t lost and alone. And there was so much to see!

One tent had a thank full of floating colorful balls that you were supposed to gather as much as you could in a short time. One had little fishies you could catch with a strange flat net. His Moon caught a few and Lance clapped in excitement when his Moon showed him his own small bag of colorful fish that he had just won.

There was a store with different masks hanging of the walls and toy shops and food stalls. Lance would pull his Star this way and that way, jumping from stall to stall, staring wide eyed at all the wonder around them, babbling the whole time, his Moon following behind them. He tried on a mask with a cute fox face. He looked at all the interesting and strange toys and his Star showed him one that looked like a wooden hammer and had a ball on a string attached to it. His Star gave it a flick and caught the ball with the pointed end at the top of the wooden hammer. He pointed at it and said something like ‘kendama’ and Lance noded alog, not really understanding but he likes hearing his Star speak.

His Star looked from him to a food stall a few times at one point and then talked to the person on the other side. A minute later he got three somethings in paper bags, and gave one to Lance. It smelled a little like pancakes and looked like a fish? His Star and Moon took a big bite out of theirs and he followed their example, and found a soft pancake filled with a sweet custard. He ate it in record time and begged for another.

They walked and explored all the different stalls, Lance nibbling on his treat, going slow as to savor it for as long as possible. His other hand was holding his Stars hand, his Moon on his other side.

His Star stopped them in front of a shop and then he went to get something from inside. He came back a moment later and Lance cranked his neck, curious to see what it was. But his Star laughed at him and gave him a colorful small paper bag, the top folded and closed with a flower sticker. And Lance was curious to know what it was! But his one hand was full with his pancake fish and he couldn’t hold the bag _and_ his Star’s hand at the same time. So Lance huffed and put the bag in his pocket, and before his Star could look sad for even a second he reached out and took his hand again, as if it was always supposed to be so. His Star smiled at him then so bright Lance thought that he could outshine all of them in the sky. No star was brighter than his Star.

They went to a big red and white building where the most people were. Bells were playing on the wind. Lanterns lighted their way as they washed their hands in a stone basin, then they rang a bell at the top of the steps and folded their hands in a prayer, and Lance figured he might as well wish for something. They got a piece of paper each with something printed on it, and they took pens from a nearby basket and wrote on the other side of it, and Lance drew himself and his Star holding hands and then they folded and tied the papers around the branches of a tree.

They rejoined their parents and rest of their family at a restaurant and sat together on the soft floor at the low tables.

Lance finally had the time to open his gift and pulling away the paper bag found a bright red piece of thick rope, tied to a blue cat figurine that was joyfully waving one paw at him and under it were two silver bells that chimed in the loud restaurant when Lance gave the charm a shake.

He squealed at hugged his Star around the neck saying thank you over and over again.

Then their parents came over, and Lance didn’t think twice about taking his Mamma’s hand.

But then his Star and Moon took their own Mamma’s hand, they started walking away, and Lance was shouting after his Star and his Star turned around and was reaching towards him but was being pulled forward by his Mamma and Lance reached out his hand “sto-”

“STOP!” Lance shouted, hand reaching out as he set up in his bed.

It took him a good minute to calm down and figure out that he wasn’t with his family, in another country during a local summer festival. He wasn’t five years old and his Star was not there.

That was almost two decades ago.

Lance sighed, wiping at his brow and looked up at his desk. On the wall behind it was a faded old photograph of that night. Three little faces, looking confused at the camera. And right under it on the table were Lance’s keys with the same blue cat charm hanging off the end of them.

He sighed deeply and turned to look out his open window. The stars twinkled back at him. And he couldn’t help thinking that, far across the ocean, people were getting ready for a day of festivities for a late winter festival and here Lance was. Far away in another time and place.

 

* * *

 

The late winter to early spring period tended to be colder here than other parts of the country, and this day was no exception. Lance could feel the air turn to vapor as he tried breathing through his fluffy blue scarf. The morning was grey and mist covered the small town Lance was living and working in.

He didn’t have to be out at this time. There was no work today and everything was closed at 6 in the morning. Sometimes the urge to be elsewhere would overcome him. Crawling past his chest and up his throat, like a kitten crawling up a tree. _why are you just standing here, why are you here and not there_. His chest would feel tight and his legs weak.

That very feeling got him out of his warm bed and out into the street. Maybe he’d go to the caffe once it opened. Perhaps that would settle the feeling for a while.

But, like a wave the feeling came again, crashing down on him. He stumbled, gasping for breath.

He’d reach in his pocket, feeling around his keys for the charm hanging off it, and hold the charm tight in his grip. And the feeling would pass.

He looked around himself, as if he could find a familiar face that just wasn’t there.

He’s look over the horizon, finding blue blue skies, looking for a guiding star that wasn’t there.

He pulls out his charm and attached keys and looks at it. The same blue cat waves its paw at him as if saying ‘hi’, two silver bells hanging just below it. He gives them a little shake and they chime in the late winter air. And the sound pulls him back, into another place full of chiming bells and trumping drums and anothers hand in his grip. And he can breathe again.

He’d had this feeling for a long time. Like if he let the feeling drown him, he could reach across the night sky and the endless ocean, and touch another soul a world and years away.

His aunt, the only person in the family with a drop of magic in her blood would always shakes her head at him.

_“The world itself is bending for you, one day you’ll have to follow it or risk losing it.”_

The charm in his hand sways and chimes in the sudden wind. It pulls to his left and when he looks over he sees the train station.

The feeling of - _not here, elsewhere, elsewhere, elsewhere -_  crawled up his neck again. He swallowed deeply.

_“Trust that feeling Cariño. It’s your guiding light. It’ll lead you to the edges of the universe.”_

“Can I please have a ticket for the next train leaving here?”

The old man at the ticket counter looked up from his newspaper, and raises an eyebrow at him, “the first and last train of the day leaves in 3 minutes, son.”

Lance just nodded, as if expecting that.

“I can move fast.” said Lance with a determined nod.

“How far then?”

“Until the tracks end.”

He gets on the train in the last second. Slamming his palm against the closing automatic door and luckily they open back out again. The conductor is not all that pleased, but takes his ticket with a huff and lets him in.

The train is already moving, swaying slightly as he makes his way pass the compartment wagons and into the open seating area. There are only a few people there, most of them half asleep in their seats. A few rise their gazes to see the new arrival but lose interest soon after. He sits down in an empty area right by the window and settles down to watch the world pass him by. The charm still clenched in his fist.

The misty valley of his town gives way to hills and forests. The sunrise catches on the mountaintops as they travel through a mountain pass. He sees the train passes through woods and valleys and over rivers and creeks. Nature gives way to a cityscape and then endless fields stretching towards the horizon. The clear twilight night is reflected in the lakes and house windows.

It’s dark and pouring rain by the time they stop in a small town and Lance gets off the train almost in a daze. He makes his way through town, his legs taking him down the main square, up a hill and down the other side. By the time he gets to the other side the rain has already stopped, reflecting the night sky in the many puddles left behind. A wind ruffles his hair and he finally looks around.

He’s stopped in the middle of an empty street; it seems lively, bars and pubs scattered around, lit within and playing music. But he has eyes only for the windows in front of him.

The big frosted windows are alight from within, warm and welcoming, they stretch high and wide on both sides of the matte black door in the middle, casting half the street in light. Above the door is a stylized silhouette of a lions head, it’s mouth open in a silent roar.

The door is ajar to let in the cool evening air; being in the south-west it’s warmer than Lance’s town, despite the time of year. He steps in and finds matte black walls and grey hazel wooden floors. A counter and big leather arm chairs for waiting. There are picture frames everywhere, hanging of the walls, on the floors, leaning on desks and hiding behind potted plants. He steps closer and finds those are tattoo designs, all of them. From black and gray to watercolor. Some detailed and some more stylized.

The music comes in muffled through the door as he looks around. Taking in the room, and feel of it. He thinks he can almost feel a ghost of another soul just within reach. He almost reaches out a hand to grasp at empty air when someone steps in through the side door.

And Lance recognizes him instantly.

“Mi Luna” he breathes, he’s found his friend from so long ago. He’s so tall, taller than Lance, and built, a black t-shirt stretching over firm muscles, his black hair is long, long and pulled up in a bun, the leftover fringe falling over the same silver eyes. He has faded scars on his arms and one on his cheek, the same place one crescent moon was half a lifetime ago.

His Moon blinks at him but then recognition sets in and he smiles the same wide smile, “Hi, Neko-chan,” he says in a deep voice. And Lance hadn’t remembered his Star and Moons name for him, but he recognizes the melody of it deep in his bones.

Lance swallows hard, mouth dry, and he starts to say something, but the words escape him. He wants to move forward and hug his Moon but at the same time ask where his one and only Star is. The feeling so close he could almost drown in it.

But his Moon doesn't have the same problem and just laughs at him, “He’s in the back. Come on,” he says, unprompted, and then he put an arm around Lance’s shoulders. And Lance can feel the presence of him.

They enter a hallway and just as they were about to enter another room a figure steps through. “Ryou, do you feel-”, the words get lost as Lance steps forward and without even noticing is embracing his Star, his arms around a strong but soft chest and face hidden in a warm shoulder. He can feel the warmth of him, the sheer presence of him, a steady heartbeat under his cheek. The body under his hands stiftens but just as Lance begins fearing being pushed away, gentle hands come up around his shoulders, “Hey… Neko-chan...”

And Lance can breathe again.

 

* * *

 

It takes him a while to calm down but when he does he notices that he managed to drag half a river into their tattoo parlor and the white shirt is definitely clinging to every muscle on his Stars body. “I’m… Sorry about that.” he tries to be charged but he still can’t take his eyes of this gorgeous body.

His Moon - Ryou? - laughs, “No, you’re not.”

“...not really,” says Lance, and sends a conspiratorial wink at Ryou.

His Star huffes at them but Lance can see him blushing. And that makes Lance smile wider, _score one for Lance_.

And Lance finally has the time to properly look at him. He looks just as well built as his twin. His arms are also littered with scars and there's one scar running over his nose. His right arm is almost fully black in tattoos and it takes Lance a minute to notice that it’s actually a black prosthetic that has drawings on it and the drawings extend as tattoos of galaxies and nebulae over his skin and up his arm to the shoulders and under his shirt. His hair is a stark snow white, and while Lance wonders what happened to cause that he can’t help thinking that it makes him look more like a star than ever. He takes Lances breath away again for a wholly different reason than the feeling that brought him here.

His Star signs, “Come on, let’s get you dry,” and he puts a hand to the small of his back, the touch soft and Lance can feel warmth spread through his body at it, and guides him up a staircase at the back of the room.

The stairs lead up to a hallway, and down to a set of doors, one has a picture of a nebula taped to it and the other has a picture of a comet. His Star opens the one with the nebula on it and the door opens into an open floor apartment. Hardwood flooring, stark white walls and a high ceiling. Big, wide windows cover two adjacent walls letting in the streetlight. A few of the windows are ajar to let in the light breeze.

Ryou disappears through a side door while his Star guides him to what looks like a bathroom.

“Here, take a hot shower. Best not to catch a cold at this time. Just put your clothes in this basket, we’ll clean them later.” He turns on the light and shows him how to work the shower, and shows him where the toiletries are.

Ryou comes in with a basket filled with black fluffy towels and clean clothes, and hands it to him. “You’re more Keith’s size but… you’ll have to make do with Taka’s stuff… hope you don’t mind” he says and gives Lance the same big smile from a lifetime ago.

Lance nods, “Right.”

Ryou turns to go, but his Star stays still, just fondly looking at him. When Lance blinked at him in confusion, he winks and looks pointedly at his hand… The right one, the prosthetic one, the one Lance has been reaching towards for two decades now and finding only empty air, the one that Lance is also holding in a vice grip.

“Umm,” Lance coughs around the basket into his fist in embarrassment but then goes for cheeky and raises the hand to kiss at the back of it, looking at his Star from under his eyelashes. His Star laughs and squeezes his palm before going backing out of the bathroom, “Come into the main room when you’re done okay?” he says and closes the door behind him.

Lance takes his time, marveling at the thought that he found his Star and Moon. He hadn’t expected to find them at the other end of this urge to - _just go_. He sniffs at the shampoo and soap and finds them both lacking. He’ll have to introduce his Star and Moon to proper skin care it would seem. And he chuckles for a moment at the thought of them all at a slumber party, masks on their faces and conditioner in their hair, in fluffy bathrobes, doing their nails. And imagines his big and buff Star and Moon sitting cross-legged and hunched over while Lance paints each nail painstakingly.

He gets out of the shower and dries off with the fluffy towels. He takes the clothes and raises them up to inspect. It’s a dark grey hoodie and sweatpants and a set of underwear. He brings the hoodie up to his face and finds a sharp, clean smell, the smell of an oncoming storm and cool rain on warm ground, the smell of white snow steadily falling from the sky.

They recognised him, they took him in without prompting. Gave him clothes and everything. Then his eyes widen… he has nothing with him. He just randomly traveled by train to another part of the country without bringing anything with him except his keys, phone and wallet. He’s in a town he doesn’t know the name of. He has no idea what to do from here. _He hadn’t even watered his plants for an extended trip!_

Something small touches his shoulder and he almost jumps out of his skin, raising the hoodie up to his chest as a shield and turns around to find a siamese cat looking at him. It blinks big, bright blue eyes at him and miaus softly. Lance just looks on in confusion.

The black fluffy cushion the cat is standing near shifts and then uncurls to show another cat, this one big and fluffy black with gold eyes almost shining in contrast to its dark fur. It too mews at him, the siamese comes to the black and head buts at it, then smoothes one ear back.

“Oh, well, hi there,” they both stop grooming to look at him in unison, he can almost feel them saying ‘well, get on with it’

“Er... well then.” So he gets dressed. The hoodie is, of course, too big for him but it’s warm and soft and Lance hugs it to himself. He dons a pair of gray slippers (they even have cat ears!) and makes his way out the bathroom and to the main room. He can hear voices squabbling, and finds his Star and Moon at the kitchenet.

“Give it here Taka, you wouldn’t want to poison him after he came all this way!”

“I wouldn’t poison- Ryou! It’s just omelet rice. We both know how to do that!” his Star yells holding the pan and spatula away from Ryou’s reaching hands.

“We all know you’re a disaster at cooking. Just ask Hunk-”

“You’re no better!”

“I can cook if you two are just going to fight over it...” a new voice says in exasperation and only then does Lance notice a young man sitting at the kitchen island, tapping away at his phone. Lance huffs at himself at the dark mullet; some people just have no style.

“No!” exclaim the twins in unison, “We’d rather you not burn down the house Keith,” Keith scoffs at Ryou and sends him a glare, “Again.” Ryou adds with emphasis.

Lance has to bite the inside of his cheek to hold in laughter but then he startles as two fluffy bodies glide around his ankles and continue on into the room, meowing. They catch the attention of their owners, and they all look over to him.

Taka takes a look over him and then looks away with a blush but tells him to come take a seat at the kitchen island. Ryou smirks at his brother, and gets a bump on the shoulder for it.

Lance comes and sits in a chair by Mullet Man.

“So you’re the guy they’ve been talking about,” says Keith, and it’s not really a question but Lance huffs anyway and puffs out his chest.

“Why, yes I am. And who are you again?”

Keith scoffed at him and his Star reaches over to bump Keith on the shoulder. “Come on.”

“Keith... so what’s your name again? They’ve just been calling you Kitten all the time.”

Lance blinks, “Kitten?” and looks to the twins, both of who have sheepish smiles on their faces, but they nod.

“Neko-chan, Kitten.” His Star says in way of explanations, and the fondness in his voice had Lance shivering.

“We never did exchange names after all...”

Lance hums, then remembers something else, “You knew I was coming?”

Ryou nods at him, “Since this morning. We have a bit of foresight sense between us, and had a feeling something was happening today-”

“We weren't exactly expecting you in particular, but we’re glad it was. How did you get here anyway?”

“I-”

“Can we have a name now?” interrupts Keith

Lance huffs at him, so rude, “I’m Lance.” he says, looking at the twins and ignoring Keith, and so he sees how their gazes brighten with the new information. Ryou comes around the kitchen island to sit besides Keith, “I’m Ryou, and this is our adopted brother Keith.”

Lance smiles, so glad to finally, finally have names to put to their faces. He looks over to his Star, waiting to hear his name.

His Star smiles at him, “I’m Takashi, but people just call me Shiro.”

“Here,” says Shiro, putting a plate with rice, cut up chicken and vegetables, all topped with an folded omelet, in front of him. Then he goes to serve the others. Lance’s stomach growls at the food and he’s practically wolfing it down, just now remembering that he hadn’t had anything since that morning. He finishes his portion in record time.

Shiro chuckles and pushes his own plate over to him. “Here, have mine if you want.”

“But...”

“I’ll share his,” he says, pointing his spoon to Ryou.

“No you won’t,” says Ryou, but pushes his plate closer to his brother in invitation.

After they finish and Shiro gets up to do the dishes, “I’ll help,” Lance jumps to his feet and joins him at the kitchen sink.

Ryou stretches then get up and heads to the door, “I’ll go to Hunks place. Help close shop and all that. You better be there within the next hour or two, you hear!” he says, prompting Keith to also get up to join him. Ryou catches Lance’s gaze just before closing the door and winks at him conspiratorially, flicking his gaze at Shiro’s back. Lance blushes and Shiro throws a tea towel at him. The towel hits the now closed door and they can hear Ryou laughing over the hallway and down the steps.

And that leaves just him and Shiro.

Lance would have expected this moment to feel awkward. And yet, they fell into a peaceful silence as the noise from the streets got quieter and the stars climbed higher in the sky. He was just drying a plate, staring into the sky out the window when Shiro took the plate to store it.

“There, that’s done,” he smiled at Lance “Thanks for the help. Would you like to join us at Hunk’s place? Or would you rather go back to your hotel, after traveling so far.”

“I came with an overnight train from Blue Valley... and I just...”

Shiro blinks at him, “Huh. That’s far… ”

“Yeah, and I just, kinda, got on the train without preparing-”

“You have nothing with you?” asks Shiro, eyes widening in concern and confusion. One of his hands reaching out to take Lance’s hand, and squeezing in reassurance.

Lance just shakes his head and squeezes the hand back.

“I… It’s too late to go searching for a hotel now, but...” says Shiro, and raises a hand to scratch at the back of his neck, “If you want you can stay here with us. At least for the night.”

“I’d like that...” whispers Lance, then “What’s happening at Hunk’s?”

“Ah, a friend got into the college they wanted, and Ryou and I just had our birthday the other day, so everyone is celebrating tonight.”

“It was your birthday?!”

“Well, it’s actually on the 29th but-”

“Hooo, leap year!”

“Don’t you go-”

“Oh, you two are actually EIGHT!!!”

“-there.” Shiro groans in mock disgruntlement. Lance just laughs at him.

 

* * *

 

Lance meets all their friends that night. Hunk is a sweetheart and they hit it off like they have been friends their whole lives. There are Matt and Pidge, two scary smart siblings who he spends half the night trading memes with. And so many more people.

It feels like home already. And by the time he notices, he’s already been there, at Red Rock town, for a solid month; helping out at the Black Lion tattoo parlor or with Hunk’s ‘Sunshine Yellow’ restaurant. He ends up with a little Pisces, and Leo constellation tattoo on his collarbones for the trouble as well as gains a few pounds from good food. His Mamma calls him and asks how he’s liking his new home and Lance almost chokes on his drink before he hears his aunt laughing in the back.

Foresight people, seriously.

And somehow, he still hasn’t moved out of Shiro’s place.

They drove to his town to get his things just the other week, and now he can say that Shiro’s spacious apartment actually looks lived in with all the plants and pillows and blankets he took with him. He even crashed into Ryou’s place, across the hallway, and did the same.

He can’t have his boyfriend and one of his best friends living in sterile and empty apartments after all. No sir, not on his watch!

_“Don’t be like that, we just moved here a year ago.”_

_“... You’ve already been here a year and done nothing with the place?”_

_The twins just huffed at him in unison and he laughed and laughed._

Four months in and Keith starts coming around more often, looking haggled and blaming it on nightmares. But none of their foresight friends are convinced.

_He asks Shiro about it one night as they’re cleaning up for the evening. And only gets a vague answer in return._

_“There’s a pressure on the valley… some big change is coming. No idea what it is though, I guess we’ll have to wait and see._

A week later they were all having lunch at Hunk’s. A strange and heavy feeling pulling on all of them. And Lance could swear he could feel something pulling at him - a different, new feeling pulling at him.

_soon soon soon soon_

Keith runs into the restaurant, out of breath.

_He’s found a strange cave with a **what** looking like a giant blue lion?_

 

 


End file.
